Breath
by SnuffBall
Summary: Severus Snape, revealed spy for the light, disappears from captivity. His rescuer none other than Harry Potter, who has been missing for a whole year.


Summary: Severus Snape, revealed spy for the light, disappears from captivity. His rescuer none other than Harry Potter, who has been missing for a whole year.

Warnings: Contains Slash, mentions torture, occasional profanities.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related characters. This plot however is relatively original, and any characters I may develop are mine. The timeline begins after the murder of Dumbledore.

Chapter 1: Discovery

Claw-like nails dug into his chin, grey with stubble, drawing blood which ran slowly down his pale throat. His gaze was forcefully dragged up to meet blood red malicious eyes. He tried to squeeze his eyes shut but he found he couldn't. He dragged his tired consciousness into the icy deep still pool that protected his mind and sluggishly managed to freeze it. Voldemort battered uselessly at the ice, cracking it in places. But Severus swam deeper, freezing his lake behind him as he went. Screaming with frustration the invasion withdrew.

Apparently un-phased by his failed attempt on Severus' mind Voldemort continued regardless.

"So Severus... explain to us why I cannot access the Hogwarts wards still. Explain why my attack on that pathetic little town where the nauseating adolescents frolic was thwarted. Tell me why that potion has not yet been finished." The sibilant voice of the Dark Lord, unnaturally high and soft, creamed through the large room which roared with the silence of many death eaters. Voldemort's unnaturally long hand, that wasn't squeezing the life out of Severus' jaw, ran through his hair in a weird mockery of affection. Before Severus had the chance to reply the Dark Lord Spoke again:

"I'll tell you why! This slippery worm! This traitor is the spy I have spent the last year trying to cleanse from my ranks." The high voice reverberated around the room now, rising higher in the Dark Lord's fury.

Severus felt nothing. He was numb all over, even as his face was smashed to the ground breaking his already abused nose. Blood poured down his face as he sat back up. It was over. He was never going to be able to give the Dark Lord the secret to break Hogwarts wards, even if one existed. He was never going to brew a potion that, when put into the water supply, would selectively kill mudbloods and muggles. He had pushed it too far. But was worth it, he had thwarted Voldemort's takeover attempt at the ministry and his attack on the Hogwarts students on their rare trip to Hogsmeade.

"Do you deny it?" Voldemort screeched again, his mad unearthly voice like nails down a blackboard to Severus' ears.

"Did you think you could hide forever? You should realise Lord Voldemort always knows." His voice turning softly syllabant.

"Fuck You." Severus snarled, and tried to reach for his wand. Voldemort slashed his wand and Severus felt white hot pain travel from cheek his down his neck. Gasping in pain and shock he fumbled. His ebony wand skittered away from him across the hard, marble, blood stained floor.

"_Crucio" _

Severus curled into himself in a ball, until his muscles started to twitch and he involuntarily rolled onto his back. Through the fog of the pain he was aware of the smug pudgy faces of various cherubs painted on the ceiling of Riddle Manor ball room. They were the stuff of nightmares. A scream clawed its way out of his throat.

Voldemort laughed. Severus knew now more.

oo000oo

It was hazy. His left hand was screaming at him, so were his legs, or was he screaming? The leering face of someone he didn't recognise leaned over him. Thick jowls wobbling with cruel laughter, large forehead with a prominently receding hairline slick with sweat. Meaty hands pulled his unresisting mouth open and unceremoniously forced a potion down his throat. He couldn't move, the potion was grey and Severus didn't recognise it, though that may have had more to do with his inability to see clearly rather than his lack of potions knowledge. But it made his insides boil, and he whimpered. Then there was someone else, someone with a cruel, sinister voice.

"I will have you, as soon as our lord has his information, you will be mine and you will love it."

There was another looming face swimming into view. This one was pale, with translucent skin and near white blonde hair. The predatory gaze of grey nearly white eyes terrified him, he could feel himself hyperventilating, his breath coming in short sharp pants.

"Aw look at him, frightened of little old me! You are right to be frightened..." The man leaned closer and Severus felt cold hands running up his bare skin, they made him shudder.

Severus pulled himself together and, by a quick process of elimination, found the only part of him still able to move was his mouth, Severus retaliated in the only way available to him and as the terrifying face leaned towards him he spat. The man drew back quickly and angrily wiped the spittle off his face.

"Knock him out Otto, he will respect me soon enough."

The leering man was back and a large fist thundered into Severus' face and he knew no more.

oo000oo

When Severus next surfaced into consciousness the first thing he was aware of was the pain in his skull closely followed by the rest of his body. He cracked his eyes open to find himself mercifully alone. He was lying in a twisted position on the floor. He recognised the dungeons at Malfoy Manor. Steel bars separated the large room into small areas in which prisoners were confined. All the other prisoners were very quiet, though he could hear soft breathing and the occasional whimper. Most people kept here were death eaters who had displeased the Dark Lord in some way. The life expectancy of the average prisoner of war was very short. Though Severus supposed he was currently an exception. His head was throbbing painfully, he tried to bury his consciousness in the icy lake that he used to protect it from intruders, but to his horror nothing happened. He felt panic begin to ghost through his sluggish mind.

Everything hurt, he tried to move, but there was a terrible grating in his legs and he stifled a scream. After that there was no other clear moment. Voices he recognised, some he didn't, cast spells, kicked him and laughed. Someone was screaming, someone familiar, there was bright light surrounding him. But just as suddenly it was gone, it was dark again and someone threw him against something hard, but he couldn't see through the haze of spells and pain.

Eventually he was sure night had come and no more people came to his cell, how many days had passed though he wasn't sure. The world was spinning, the agony was unbearable. The straw surrounding him was sticky with drying blood. He coughed weakly, but that spread fire through his ribs. There was a rustle somewhere at the other end of the room full of steel partitions which separated the prisoners.

There was a figure at the end of the room and, in the near-dark, luminous green eyes cut through the haze. Magic glittered in them immediately telling Severus that this was a master of the mental arts. The figure was undoubtedly male and powerfully built. He was at least as tall as Severus if not taller. There was something slung over his broad shoulder. He was a terrifying site for someone in Severus's position. Severus turned his head away, so as not to draw attention to himself, and curled up as much as possible. He peeked out from under his curtain of matted hair which smelt of blood. The figure was moving silently and gazing intently into the cells as he passed. He finally stopped outside Severus' cell door. He paused for a moment and placed a hand on the bars.

Severus clenched his teeth to stop them chattering as he started to tremble. Why couldn't they have killed him earlier? Maybe this man was coming to finish him finally after sifting through his now defenceless mind? An end to the pain would be bliss, though he doubted it would be painless, and death was a frightening prospect no matter how you looked at it. People who weren't afraid of death were people with a clear conscience. Like Potter. Severus could not hope to have the same clear headed acceptance of his own demise that Potter did. What had happened to the strange enigma that was Harry Potter was anyone's guess. The boy had left a year ago with no word of his destination or if he would ever return.

There was a glow from the door, Severus peered through his hair. The hand laid on the door was glowing and the door was melting. What was going on? Pieces of molten metal fell with a light flump onto damp straw which hissed wetly on its impact. The man stepped over the melted remains of the door into Severus' cell.

Severus fisted his good hand in his hair and tried to control the terror that was filling him. The man knelt down beside him. Severus clenched his eyes shut waiting for his final breath to come. A gentle warm hand fell onto his side, heat seemed to radiate from it and dull the pain. What sort of trick was this?

"Severus. Can you hear me?" The voice was deep and gentle. It seemed vaguely familiar.

"Sod off arsehole." Severus' damaged vocal chords grated through the dizzy haze surprising, even himself, at their harshness.

The man kneeling next to him chuckled gently. Not what Severus had been expecting. He whispered;

"I'm here to get you out."

Warm hands lifted him against a solid warm chest. Severus found his good hand automatically clinging to soft robes as he gasped in surprise and his dizzy view of the world rocked violently.

The man smelled good and when he whispered soft reassurances into Severus' ear and he couldn't help but believe them. The man stood with Severus in his arms the world lurched painfully and Severus found himself pressing his face into the strange man's neck.

The man walked out of the cell and the other death eater prisoners started causing a ruckus, yelling and hoping to be the one rewarded for sounding the alarm. There was a shout from the guard upstairs. The man carrying Severus leaped up the stairs and brutally kicked the man who had been noisily opening the door. He went crashing down the stone steps with a yelp and then lay still.

The man ran with Severus down several grey corridors and up two flights of steps that made Severus's teeth rattle. He turned down a smaller grey passage, into a huge room and leaped out of the window. Severus screamed as the night air and broken glass rushed past them. They hit the ground with a jolt, the man holding Severus landed easily, but the pain in Severus' ribs which the man had in a firm grip became too much and once again Severus' world went black.


End file.
